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Exclusive: Storck 2012 road bikes - First look

Storck have redesigned their Absolutist for 2012, giving it a more aggressive tubeset, internal cable routing and a new press-fit bottom bracket shell with correspondingly broader chainstay spacing

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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The uncharacteristically colorful paint job on the new Storck Absolutist highlights the down tube's squared-off bottom

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Cables are fed right into the bulbous tapered head tube on the redesigned Storck Absolutist

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Storck's top-end frames get proportional stays to maintain consistent ride quality across the size range but that feature is omitted from the Absolutist in order to keep the price more reasonable

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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The top tube and down tube are notably wide up front for what we expect to be outstanding front-end stiffness on the new Storck Absolutist

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Storck fit the redesigned Absolutist with an extra-wide bottom bracket shell housing press-fit bearing cups, a similarly broad down tube, and chainstays that have more breathing room for additional rear-end rigidity

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Storck's redesigned Absolutist is built with "Super Size Chainstays" to aid pedaling efficiency

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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The bottom bracket guide on the newly internally routed Storck Absolutist is covered by an additional cover that's mostly cosmetic but also serves to protect the lines from road grime

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Rear-entry carbon fiber dropouts are used on the revamped Storck Absolutist

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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The all-new Storck Scentron will carry with it a retail price of €1,699 for the frame, fork and headset

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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As always with Storck, the tube shaping on the new Scentron is smooth and organic with few, if any, abrupt changes

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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The new Storck Scentron will come with the company's own Stiletto Race SL carbon fork

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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The new Storck Scentron uses wishbone-style seatstays

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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The all-new Storck Scentron features an internally routed rear brake line

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Storck's new Scentron frame will only work with electronic drivetrains - there are no provisions for conventional derailleur cables, nor an option to add them

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Complete Storck Scentron bikes will be available with Shimano Ultegra electronic drivetrains

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Storck had just built the first Scentron sample the day before we visited them at their headquarters in Idstein, Germany. Unfortunately, we weren't able to sample the new electronic Ultegra drivetrain, though, as Shimano had yet to provide functional parts - these are mock-ups

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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The Storck Fascenario 0.7 gets a new look for 2012

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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In contrast to some more wildly shaped machines, Storck frames have a more flowing and organic form - something several other carbon frame companies are now coming back to for current models

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Proportional main tubes and seatstays help maintain a consistent ride quality across the Storck Fascenario 0.7 size range

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Storck say their Vacuum Void Control molding process is one of the key features of their production technique. An internal bladder exerts pressure on the inside of the tubes during the curing process as usual but there's also a vacuum pulling the resin through fibers on the exterior of the tube, supposedly leading to more consistent resin infiltration and less excess material

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Storck's Stiletto forks are among the lightest in the industry despite the fact that the molds are over a decade old

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Storck have revamped nearly their entire mountain bike line for 2012, which includes an all-new Rebel Six carbon hardtail

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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The new Storck Rebel Six gets a tapered head tube for 2012

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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As is usually the case with Storck, shaping on the Rebel Six is straightforward and fairly conventional

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Storck have built ample tire clearance into the new Rebel Six, with plenty of room around the 2.25in Schwalbe Rocket Ron pictured here

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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The rear brake caliper on the Storck Rebel Six is tucked neatly inside the rear triangle. Hose routing is very clean, too - as long as your caliper of choice has a rotating banjo

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Cable routing on the new Storck Rebel Six is neatly done on the underside of the top tube. Full-length derailleur housings should help protect the cables from contamination

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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The Storck Rebel Six bottom bracket area features a conventional threaded shell and plenty of tire clearance, with no shelf on which mud can accumulate

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Storck say their Ultra Comfort carbon fiber seatpost has been designed for extra fore-aft flex to lend a smoother ride

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Storck's headquarters in Idstein, Germany is surprisingly compact. This image was shot from Markus Storck's office, from which all of the other staff offices are readily visible. Despite the company's impressive offerings, there are only 29 full-time employees working in Idstein

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Storck's testing lab sits right at eye level in a corner of the building that's open for viewing by the public - nothing to hide here

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Storck test their frames both in-house and on-site at their Asian factory

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Storck's main showroom is split into mountain and road bike sides. All of the models are on display and nearly everything is available for a test ride

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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The road side of Storck's main showroom includes all of the company's aluminum and carbon fiber models

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Markus Storck apparently shot the upper photo himself

(James Huang/BikeRadar)

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Storck's showroom in Idstein, Germany includes a collection of Fenomalist demo bikes, all equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groups

What do you do if you're stuck in Frankfurt for a five-hour layover? We made a beeline for Storck's headquarters in nearby Idstein and got an exclusive sneak peek at the company's key new models for 2012. Time well spent, we'd say.

Absolutist gets a complete redesign for 2012

This year's Absolutist carries on into the 2012 range in name only. It's gained a little weight – Markus Storck tells us a new 57cm frame weighs 1,070g – but the new shape promises a substantial jump in pedaling and torsional stiffness relative to the already-stout current version.

The key change is the move to an 86mm-wide bottom bracket shell with press-fit bearing cups, which allows for a much broader, slightly squared-off down tube plus chunkier chainstays that are also set further apart. The top tube has gained some girth, too, and rather than reduce the diameters of the main tubes at the still-tapered 1-1/8 to 1-1/4in head tube, Storck instead choose to maintain their full width and partially wrap them around for extra reinforcement.

Storck fit the redesigned absolutist with an extra-wide bottom bracket shell housing press-fit bearing cups, a similarly broad down tube, and chainstays that have more breathing room for additional rear-end rigidity:

Out back, Storck include their so-called "Super Size Chainstays" to retain a solid pedaling platform and the seatstays boast similarly healthy proportions. Despite the size of the seatstays – which goes against current industry trends – Markus Storck insists that enough flex has been built into the wishbone area that the new Absolutist is actually more comfortable than the previous one. Moreover, he says the Absolutist is actually the most comfortable bike in the range when the company's latest flex-tuned Ultra Comfort carbon seatpost is used as well.

Other details include neatly done internal cable routing throughout, with entry points positioned right on the sides of the barrel-shaped head tube. The rear derailleur cable re-emerges just aft of the bottom bracket shell – so there's still some potential for weather contamination – but at least there's a tidy cover over the bottom bracket guide to fend off most road grime kicked up by the front wheel. Despite the improvements, Storck will hold firm on the Absolutist's pricing, with the 2012 model fetching €1,999.99 for the frame, Stiletto 340 OS carbon fork and headset.

Storck's redesigned absolutist is built with

Storck's redesigned Absolutist is built with "Super Size Chainstays" to aid pedaling efficiency

All-new Scentron goes all-in with Shimano Di2

Slotting in just above the Scenero in terms of price is an all-new carbon road model called Scentron. As is usually the case with Storck, tube shaping is free of folds, kinks, hard edges and any other abrupt changes in shape that aren't deemed completely necessary from an engineering point of view. Similar to the approach some other companies are now reverting to, it's all smooth curves and roundish forms that allow the carbon fibers to take a mostly straight and efficient path.

Likewise, Storck stick with a conventional threaded bottom bracket and straight 1-1/8in head tube. Despite this, from previous experiences with Storck bikes, we expect pedaling and torsional stiffness to be extremely high.

The company will offer the new Scentron in Shimano Di2-compatible versions only – meaning there are no provisions for traditional derailleur cables. As such, the external frame surfaces are clean and uncluttered, with just the usual small entry and exit ports for the wiring harness and a tidy battery mount atop the down tube by the bottom bracket shell.

Claimed weight for the Scentron is virtually identical to the revised Absolutist at around 1,070g for a 57cm frame plus 360g for the Stiletto Race SL fork. Suggested retail price is €1,699 for a frame, fork and headset or €4,400 for a complete bike with Shimano Ultegra Di2.

The all-new storck scentron will carry with it a retail price of €1,699 for the frame, fork and headset:

As always with Storck, the tube shaping on the new Scentron is smooth and organic with few, if any, abrupt changes

Other changes

Storck have been busy with other models in the range, with several receiving tweaks that will be shown at the Eurobike trade show in August. Accompanying the groundbreaking Aero II IS time trial/triathlon frame with its trick integrated carbon fiber mini-V brakes will be a lower cost version that will retain the original's key features and shape but with conventional brake calipers fitted instead. That change will drop the new Aero II's price to €4,999 for the frame, fork and Corima bar – a full €2,000 cheaper than the full-blown Aero II IS.

Markus Storck hasn't only devoted his attention to carbon race bikes, either, saying the company will also unveil an all-new aluminum road chassis as well as a "very radical" electric bike. We only saw renderings of the latter and have been sworn to secrecy but suffice to say the aesthetics are eye opening.

Other changes include an updated look for the Fascenario 0.7, a new Rebel Six 26in carbon hardtail to go along with the Rebel Nine shown at Sea Otter earlier this year, and tweaks to the Adrenalin 1.7, Adrenalin 2.0 and Rebelion 1.0. Finally, Storck say the groundbreaking Fascenario 0.6 – using a similar ultralight carbon fiber mini-V brake concept as on the Aero II IS – is in production and shipping to dealers.

Storck have revamped nearly their entire mountain bike line for 2012, which includes an all-new rebel six carbon hardtail:

Storck have revamped nearly their entire mountain bike line for 2012, which includes an all-new Rebel Six carbon hardtail

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James started as a roadie in 1990 with his high school team but switched to dirt in 1994 and has enjoyed both ever since. Anything that comes through his hands is bound to be taken apart, and those hands still sometimes smell like fork oil even though he retired from shop life in 2007. He prefers manual over automatic, fizzy over still, and the right way over the easy way.

Discipline: Mountain, road, cyclocross

Preferred Terrain: Up in the Colorado high-country where the singletrack is still single, the dirt is still brown, and the aspens are in full bloom. Also, those perfect stretches of pavement where the road snakes across the mountainside like an artist's paintbrush.